Deadly Intentions
by gum tree betty
Summary: An attempt on his life leaves Steve McGarrett critically injured in a hospital bed and Danny Williams finds only more questions than answers that threaten to tear their friendship apart as he attempts to solve the case.
1. Chapter 1

"Danny…"

"Williams can't help you now, McGarrett." The voice laughed in his ear, "Williams is beyond helping anyone ever again. It's because of you that he is dead!"

"No! No! Not Danny!" The horrified whisper slipped from his lips as he shook his head in denial at the torturous words. The physical pain faded in comparison to the pain in his heart at the cruel announcement of Danny's death as the laughter echoed in his ears.

"We warned you what would happen if you tried to escape again but you didn't listen and Williams paid the price!" The voice taunted softly, "You killed him, McGarrett; his blood is on your hands. Now it is your time to die!"

"Danny, I'm sorry!" McGarrett whispered as his world exploded in a bright flash and an agonizing pain before everything faded into blackness.

xxxx.

The two boys ran through the cane field, hiding behind the tall stalks of cane before shooting at each other with toys guns. Squealing with delight, the younger boy dashed out of the field and dove into the ditch intent on ambushing his friend but all thoughts of play were forgotten as he rolled down the steep embankment, landing against something soft at the bottom. He frowned as he lifted himself up from the ground a little and turned towards the object he had so unceremoniously rolled against. His eyes opened wide and a scream tore from his frightened lips as he found himself staring into the motionless bloodied face of a man. He screamed again, as he scrambled backwards up the slope, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and the body below.

xxxx

Sighing in disgust, Danny Williams pulled the next piece of paper towards him, quickly perusing over the words before he signed his signature at the bottom of the page. He hated the paperwork and reports that were piled up in front of him. He knew that they were a necessary evil that came with the job but it did not make the tedium of doing them any easier. The blonde haired detective shook his head and groaned, silently acknowledging that when McGarrett returned in two days, the paperwork would probably double again with injury reports. McGarrett was a danger magnet, who never thought twice about rushing into any dangerous situation.

Danny jumped as the office door suddenly swung open and Chin rushed into the office. "Danny, we have a report of a shooting victim being found in a ditch beside a cane field near Waialua, HPD is requesting that we attend." Chin's voice lowered as Danny pushed the paperwork away and rose to his feet. "They have already identified the victim – it's Steve!"

"Steve? It can't be, Chin, Steve is on the Big Island." Danny stopped and turned to stare at his colleague in disbelief, "He is not due back until tomorrow!"

"Duke's at the scene, he made the ID." Chin told the detective as Danny quickly forced himself to work through the shock as he quickly rose from his chair and ran towards the door. "He's not sure how serious Steve is injured yet but it sounds bad." Chin continued, following Danny from the Five 0 offices and down the internal staircase, "Duke said it's a head shot. He has ordered a helicopter and a doctor to the scene."

Reaching the cars in the parking lot, Chin lightly grasped Danny's arm. "Kono and I can take care of the scene up at Waialua, if you want to go to the hospital."

"Thanks, Chin." Danny nodded, still in a state of disbelief and shock. "I'll let you know about Steve's condition as soon as I am told anything. Keep me up to date with anything you find…"

"You know we will, Brah," Chin reassured his colleague. "Now go, the helicopter should be arriving at the hospital in a few minutes."

He watched as Danny nodded and climbed into his car, before he turned and jogged to his own, following Danny's Camero out of the palace grounds a few moments later.


	2. Chapter 2

Jumping across the ditch to join the HPD officers on the other side, Chin glanced down at the deep burgundy puddle that darkened the rich soil into which it was soaking, the impression of a body and footprints were clearly visible in the fine red dirt.

Duke waited silently as Chin took his first impression of the crime scene before he quietly spoke. "Two boys found Steve in the ditch when they were playing this morning. If they hadn't disobeyed their father about playing amongst the cane, then Steve may not have been found for days, this field wasn't scheduled for cutting for another week or so."

Chin glanced around at the isolated spot, silently agreeing with the HPD sergeant's assessment about the possibility that Steve would not have been found for days. In fact McGarrett would not have even been missed until tomorrow when he was scheduled to return from a week's vacation from the Big Island.

"… There were bruises over both his face and body."

Chin blinked as he realized that Duke was giving him a preliminary report. "I'm sorry, Duke, can you repeat what you just said."

The HPD Sergeant nodded, "I said that it looks like Steve was dumped here. There are no signs of violence here. He must have been grabbed and held somewhere else. There were bruises evident on his face and body. Looks like he was beaten before he was shot. We found a set of tire tracks near the edge of the ditch as well as a couple of shoe prints. I doubt it was a pro hit- McGarrett survived the head shot!"

"How is Steve?" Chin asked softly.

"Not good," Duke sighed as he watched the Five 0 officer take photos of the tire tracks and the body impression in the dirt. "He was alive when he left here. The doc said he was critical."

"Chin!"

Chin straightened up and turned as Kono hurried towards him and Duke moved away.

Nodding towards the two young boys and an older man who stood with them, watching the activity that surrounded them, the young rookie began her report. "Both boys said that the field was empty when they found Steve in the ditch. Neither remember hearing a car before finding McGarrett." Chin sighed at the information as Kono continued, "But Mr. Kalaka, the older boy's father and owner of the plantation, does recall seeing a car driving out of this area about eight this morning. He didn't think much about it, he said that tourists often manage to get themselves lost while exploring the area."

"Did he get a license plate number?" Chin asked interested in the information.

"Too far away and too much dust to be able to read the plate properly but he thinks it started with NJ and possibly had the number 4 on it but he couldn't be sure, but he did notice the car was a light blue Chevrolet Suburban. It had a large dent on the right hand guard." Kono answered. "I'm just about to place an APB out on it."

Chin nodded. "After you do that, I want you to check with the airlines, find out when Steve returned to Oahu. If he was accompanied by anyone or if he returned alone." Chin paused a moment before he added, "Also contact Catherine, ask her if they know the current whereabouts of Wo Fat."

"Do you think Wo Fat is involved?" Kono frowned.

"Possibly." Chin answered slowly, "So let's check if he's around."

"Will do, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to the hospital to update Danny on what we have so far and to check on Steve's condition." Chin answered as he turned and jumped back across the ditch. "I'll be back at the palace as soon as I can." He told his cousin as they headed back to their cars.

xxxx.

Pacing the corridor, Danny Williams felt as if he was caught up in a nightmare, a nightmare that he desperately wanted to be woken from. Steve was supposed to be safe on the Big Island, not fighting for his life in an Emergency Room in Honolulu. Danny sighed in irritation at himself. He should have realized that something was seriously amiss when Steve had not contacted him yesterday morning. He should have known that McGarrett could not keep himself out of danger!

He swallowed down the hot bile that rose in the back of his throat as he remembered the sight of Steve on the gurney as his friend was wheeled into the Emergency apartment. Bloodied bandages covered most of Steve's head and the lower half of his friend's white face was hidden beneath an oxygen mask. He had attempted to follow the gurney into the examination room but the doctor had firmly stopped him at the door, instructing him to wait outside.

The door of the examination room opened and Danny spun around. He waited until the doctor approached, studying the somber expression on the doctor's face. The news was not good, he surmised. "Doc?"

"Commander McGarrett's condition is critical. He was shot in the head. The bullet didn't penetrate the skull but it did fracture the skull, and caused several small slivers of bone to penetrate into the brain, causing it to bleed. We are taking him up to surgery to try and remove the bone slivers to stop the bleeding."

"What…" Danny swallowed and drew in a deeper breath as he forced himself to ask the question that he was afraid to ask. "What are his chances?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not good I'm afraid, but we will do everything we can. Commander McGarrett has also been beaten severely. By the look of the bruises I would guess the beatings took place over the last day or so. It has caused some internal injuries that will be taken care of during his surgery."

"He was beaten over the last day or so?" Danny parroted in shock before he murmured to himself. "He must have been grabbed by whoever did this just after I spoke to him the other day."

The doctor patted the shocked man's shoulder, "I better get up to the O.R. I'll let you know about McGarrett's condition as soon as we finish the surgery." He said quietly before he turned and hurried away, leaving the detective staring after him.


	3. Chapter 3

Danny Williams had never felt time pass so slowly. The three-hour wait he had to endure felt like a lifetime. Chin had stopped by earlier to update him on the case. So far there were few other than a witness seeing a blue car leaving the scene and several shoe imprints. No one even knew how long Steve had in the field after he had been shot. He had decided to risk the wrath of the now very harassed nurses for another attempt for an update on Steve's surgery when he saw the surgeon heading towards him. He quickly changed his direction and met the surgeon, "Doc?"

"Commander McGarrett's condition is critical but stable. We were able to remove the blood clot and several small slivers of bone from within his skull. Also we repaired a small tear in his liver."

"What are his chances?" Danny asked softly.

"He's young and fit and he handled the surgery a lot better than I expected, I think he has a good chance of recovery. As for brain damage…I'm afraid we won't know how seriously the brain has been damaged until after he regains consciousness."

Danny face paled at the thought of the possibility of brain damage and he had to clear the lump that formed in his throat before he could speak. "Can I see him?"

The surgeon nodded. "Only for a couple of minutes. He is still in recovery. I want to keep him there for observation for a little longer before we move him to ICU."

"Thanks Doc." Danny said as the surgeon turned and lead him to the recovery room.

xxxxx

Walking past several curtained cubicles, Danny followed Doc to the cubicle closest to the nurse's desk. He froze for a moment shocked at the sight of the man who lay on the gurney within. Steve was almost unrecognizable, his head enveloped with bandages, his face swollen and bruised, a ventilator tube emerged from his mouth and snaked its way to the machine beside the gurney, the heart monitor beeped quietly on a table on the other side. "Steve?" The soft whisper slipped from his lips as he stepped closer to the bed, his hand hovering over his friend's body, almost as if he was afraid to touch him.

"It's okay, you can touch him." The nurse watching him said softly. "We have him heavily sedated and on the ventilator as a precaution until the swelling in his brain subsides a little. Hopefully tomorrow the swelling will have subsided enough that doctor can take him from the ventilator and allow him to wake."

Danny swallowed and nodded not trusting himself to speak as he carefully placed his hand on his friend's arm. He remained there for several minutes silently studying his partner's face before the nurse quietly told him it was time to leave. He nodded again as he leaned over McGarrett and promised that he would be back as soon as he could before he turned he hurried from the room.

xxxxx

Chin emerged from his cubicle at the sound of the main office door swooshing open, greeting his colleague as Danny entered the office before he asked. "How's Steve?"

"The surgeon says he's critical but stable. They had to remove several small bone slivers from his brain. No one can tell me if there is any brain damage until he's awake." Danny sighed and ran his hand over his head before he asked, "Any word back from Catherine about Wo Fat's whereabouts?"

"Catherine says they believe that Wo Fat is currently in Japan." Chin answered as he lightly tapped the table keyboard and brought up several surveillance photos of Wo Fat that were stamped as being taken in Tokyo and date stamped less than twenty four hours earlier. "Catherine says he has been there under their surveillance for the past three weeks and has made no calls to Hawaii."

"What about anyone we have arrested?" Danny asked, "Some of them must be holding grudges."

"Already checked Danny," Chin replied, "Most are still in prison and HPD are checking the alibis of anyone who has been released but it's going to take time. We have made a few enemies in the last couple of years. I also have asked Joe White for a list of anyone who might have had a grudge against Steve with he was in active service with the SEALs. I am still waiting for him to get back to us."

"Where's Kono?" Danny frowned as he looked towards her empty office.

"Still down in the lab with Charlie, they are trying to get a full report finished tonight. Charlie has found some plant seeds on Steve's clothes that he hopes might help us pinpoint where Steve has been."

Danny nodded distractedly as he pulled out his cell phone. "I've been trying to contact the hotel Steve was staying at on the big island while I was waiting for word on Steve's condition but I kept being interrupted." He explained as he hit some numbers he now knew off by heart as he explained. "I want to find out when Steve was last seen at the hotel and if his belongings are still there."

His attention was snapped back to the phone as his call was answered. He quickly introduced himself and asked about McGarrett's movements, waiting a moment before he frowned and glanced at Chin as he asked. "Are you sure Steve McGarrett never checked into the hotel? I know that he had reservations from the fifth till the twelfth."

Chin watched as Danny's frown was replaced with a look of total confusion as he listened to the answer before he thanked the clerk for his time and slowly hit the end call button. The detective stood motionless for several seconds staring ahead, the cell phone still held tightly in his hand phone, his bewilderment evident on his face. Chin leaned across and lightly touched Danny's arm in an attempt to gain his attention, "Danny?"

His colleague jumped, startled, and slowly focused on his face. "Steve did not check into the hotel. He cancelled the reservation the day before he was to arrive."

"Maybe he changed his mind about staying there and decided to stay at another hotel." Chin suggested but Danny shook his head.

"When he rang, he told me he was at the hotel." Danny snapped, waving his hands around in frustration, his anger rising at Steve's blatant deceit, "Why the hell would he lie about where he was staying? Why suddenly did he decide to go all ninja on us?"

"I don't know Brah, but I'm sure Steve had a good reason." Chin tried to reassure the upset detective quietly. "Maybe he was involved in some sort of black ops with the SEALs that he couldn't tell us about."

"Maybe…" Danny reluctantly agreed before he ordered, "Chin, check the airlines. I want to find out if Steve even went to the Big Island and if he did when he returned to Honolulu."

"On it, Danny." Chin acknowledged the order as Danny turned and headed towards McGarrett's office.

Pushing open the glass door, Danny hesitated, trying to push down the hurt, betrayal and anger he was feeling because of Steve's obvious deceit before he walked around to McGarrett's chair and sat down heavily. Staring at the drawer where he knew Steve kept his most private and confidential letters and information, he knew that the answer to Steve's mysterious behavior might be hidden within. He drew a deep breath and pulled it open and began to search for something that might tell him what McGarrett was possibly up to. He quickly removed several loose sheets of paper, placing them on the desk for further perusal. A thin file with his name printed across the front with a USB stick taped to it that had been hidden beneath the papers caught his eye and frowning, he carefully lifted it free from its hiding spot. He frowned as he opened it and began to flick through the contents.

Danny's heart seemed to stop, as he stared at the pages, unable to believe what it contained. Steve had been running a background check on him. Every detail of his life was here, every single aspect had been thoroughly explored, his marriage and divorce from Rachel, his entire police career both while he was with Jersey P.D and more recently H.P.D, even credit card receipts for meals that he and Steve had shared had been noted and investigated. Momentarily fingering the USB, he reluctantly pushed it into the USB port on Steve's computer and opened the file it contained. He felt the breath rush out of his lungs, as if someone had punched him in the guts, when the file images appeared on the screen in front of him. The reports and photos that appeared on the screen were the surveillance reports and pictures taken of him when he was off duty. The reports made by HPD dated back over a period of several weeks. Unconsciously lowering the folder back down onto the desk, Danny stared unseeingly towards the door. What the Hell was going on? What had he done to warrant such scrutiny? Is this why McGarrett didn't trust him enough to tell him about the change in plans?


	4. Chapter 4

AN. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, faved or alerted my story. I am thrilled you are enjoying my story. :)

xxxxx

"McGarrett is still alive! He's in a critical condition in the ICU at the Medical Centre."

"Then take care of it! That's what we are paying you for!"

"I can't get near him. Williams has his room guarded tighter than Fort Knox."

"I didn't ask for excuses, I want you to take care of the problem. McGarrett has to be eliminated. I don't care how you do it but just do it!"

"What about Williams?"

"We'll take care of Williams, just make sure you take care of McGarrett!"

"Yes, Sir!" The loud click in his ear told him that the boss had just hung up on him. He sighed heavily as he slowly closed his cell phone and placed it back into his pocket. "If your boys had have done the job right in the first place then I wouldn't be have to be the one to clean up their mistakes!" He muttered angrily as he smoothed his shirt and turned back towards the ICU.

xxxx

Charlie rubbed his eyes as he looked at the screen in front of him. He shook his head in frustration as he turned to the Hawaii five 0 rookie who sitting close to where he was working. "The soil on Steve's clothes is consistent with the red soil found around Waialua. Whoever did this was meticulous, Kono. I have found no material fibers at all on any of Steve's clothing and the only hair strands I have found belong to Steve."

Kono sighed, "What about the tire tracks and shoe prints?"

"The shoes are runners, size 11 B, I'm running a check on the sole pattern to see if I can find what brand." Charlie told her as he brought up a photo of the shoe print found at the scene in a new window on the computer screen before he added another window that showed a digital photo of the tire tracks that were also found as he continued, "The tire tracks are interesting. The tire has a strange wear pattern that will make it easy to identify. I have narrowed down the tread pattern to a Firestone tire. I'm running a search for the exact model of tire, tell Danny that I should have the model number in the morning."

"Thanks Charlie!" Kono smiled as she rose to leave.

"Tell Danny I will have a full report for him in the morning." Charlie called out after Kono as she left the room.

xxxxxxx

"Danny, the airline just …" Danny jumped, startled as Chin entered the office. Chin hesitated a moment, studying his friend, before he quietly asked, "Everything okay, Danny?"

"I'm not sure." Danny admitted as he passed the file to Chin and nodded towards the surveillance photos on the screen. "I found this in Steve's drawer."

After a quick peruse of the contents, Chin glanced at Danny in confusion. "It's a background check and surveillance on you. Why would Steve…?"

Pushing himself up and out of the chair, Danny began to pace, "I wish I knew Chin. I was hoping Steve might have spoken to you about why he was doing it."

"He never mentioned it to me, Brah, maybe he had you lined up for some top secret assignment that needed full security clearance." Chin suggested.

"Another one of his ninja SEAL top secret field trips?" Danny replied sarcastically as he turned back to Chin. The anger and confusion he felt bubbling inside was evident in his voice. He took a deep breath and tried to push away the hurt of Steve's actions as he added more softly, "I don't think so Chin, by the reports and the photos, Steve has had me watched for the last four weeks."

"Danny when Steve regains consciousness I'm sure he will explain why." Chin tried to reassure his friend.

"I don't know what Steve was up to but I have the feeling that whatever was going on is tied to the attempt on his life." Danny sighed as they heard the office door swoosh open and left Steve's office to join Kono at the computer table, "Okay, so what have we got so far?"

"Airlines confirmed that Steve cancelled his booking to Big Island but he did rebook and traveled to Maui instead. He caught the six am flight on the fifth and returned on the one pm flight on the seventh." Chin told Danny and Kono as he brought up Steve's flight booking up onto the computer screen. "Also I checked Steve's phone records. He made only one call to Maui P.D. the night before he left to go to Maui. There were no other calls incoming or outgoing made on his cell phone."

"In the morning, find out who he spoke to when he called Maui P.D. and what the call was about." Danny instructed as he turned to Chin. "Also what motel he stayed at and also try and find out what he did and who he spoke to while he was there. We also need to trace his steps after he arrived back on Oahu. I want every moment of the time he was away accounted for."

"Will do, Danny." Chin replied as Danny looked across at Kono.

"What have you got, Kono?"

"Charlie has managed to discover the shoe print at the scene came from a pair of runners, size 11.B. He is checking the tread print now, trying to find out the brand and possibly the batch number."

"Size 11 B runners, our shooter's a big boy." Chin frowned.

Kono nodded as she continued, "The tire tracks found at the scene indicated that the tread has unusual wear. Charlie believes if we can find the car he will be able to positively match the tire. He says the tire is a Firestone, and he should be able to give us the model number in the morning."

"Good work, Kono, as soon as Charlie can tell us the tire model, I want you to get with HPD. I want you to check out the tire and mechanic stations and get names of anyone that has purchased the model in the last twelve months." Danny told her as he glanced down at his watch, surprised to find it was far later than he expected.

"On it, Danny."

"Okay, how about we call it a night." He suggested as he stretched. "We'll meet back here at seven am. Go home and get some sleep, there's nothing more that we can do tonight."

Both cousins nodded as they followed him from the office.

"Do you want to come for a quick drink, Danny? Might help you to unwind." Chin asked as they walked through the office door.

"I think I might drop by the hospital and sit with Steve for a while just in case he wakes." Danny answered softly. "I have some reading I want to do on the case to keep me entertained while I'm with him." Danny gave a weak smile as Chin glanced in surprise at the slim folder in Danny still held in his hand.

"Try and at least get some sleep tonight, Danny." Chin gently admonished his colleague as they headed down the stairs and out of the palace.

"I will." Danny answered as he walked down the external stairs and crossed to his car.

xxxxxx

Watching the three Five 0 officers finally emerge from the palace, the large Hawaiian man slid lower in his car seat, his eyes never leaving the blonde haired cop. He waited patiently as all three split up and climbed into separate cars, each pulling away moments later. Starting his engine, he slowly drove from the protection of the shadow of the trees as he began to trail the red tail lights of Williams' Camero.

xxxxxxx

The night time aura of the ICU was almost surreal; the nurses' desk was brightly lit as if in a deliberate contrast to the soft illumination of the corridor and individual rooms where patients battled for their lives. His own breathing and footsteps sounded unnaturally loud in his ears compared to the soft swoosh and beeps and whispers that were barely audible as he quietly approached Steve's room. Nodding silently to the two HPD officers guarding the door, Danny quietly entered the small room. He hesitated a moment as he stared at the motionless figure in the bed. Even in the soft light of the small overhead light above the bed, the dark bruising that covered Steve's swollen face stood out against the pale skin and the white bandage that enveloped his head, his chest rose and fell with each swoosh of the ventilator and the heart monitor beeped quietly beside the bed.

Rubbing his hand nervously over his head, Danny slowly approached the bed and whispered a soft greeting to the unconscious man in the bed. Placing the thin folder he held on the small rolling bedside table, he glanced around before pulling a hard plastic chair closer to the bed. Settling into the chair, he reached between the metal bed rails and gently rested his hand on his friend's arm, silently studying McGarrett's face before he began to speak.

"Steve, I wish you could tell me what is going on. Why the Hell did you have me under surveillance?" Danny whispered softly to the unconscious man in the bed, "What did I do? If there was a problem, Damn it, McGarrett, why didn't you at least tell me and give me the opportunity to explain. Why all the damn secrecy? Or don't you trust me anymore?" Danny halted, swallowing hard as he struggled to push back down the anger and hurt that was bubbling close to the surface. He shook his head and cleared his voice before he quietly continued with the one thought that was haunting him. "Was the investigation you were carrying out on me linked to you being hit? Am I the reason why you were shot?"

The fact that Steve had not trusted him enough to even tell him that something was going on hurt more than anything he had ever experienced before. He bit his lip before he spoke again. "Please Super SEAL, I need you to wake up and tell me what is going on. I need to know what the Hell you got yourself into and why you didn't want me to cover your six? Damn it Steve, what was going on?"

Pushing himself angrily out of the chair, Danny walked across to the window and turned his back to McGarrett. "You didn't even give me the chance to watch your back! And I haven't got a clue of what I have done!" He whispered angrily as he stared out at the city lights.

He remained standing at the window for several minutes, ignoring the nurse as she entered and glanced at him before she fiddled with McGarrett's IVs and the machines attached to him. Only after she left the room did he turn and return to the chair, sitting down beside his friend again. "What's going on, Steve?" He asked quietly.

He sighed at the silence, studying Steve's face before he picked up the thin file from the table and began to read, a frown slowly forming on the expressive face as he studied and restudied each page, occasionally glancing at his friend before returning his attention back to the file. "This doesn't make sense!" He muttered in frustration, rereading several pages over again before he glanced back at the motionless figure in the bed. "This just doesn't make any sense at all!"

xxxxx

The first rays of the morning sun were beginning to creep through the window when Danny glanced at his watch and sighed. "I have to go Steve. It's almost six and I need to go home, shower and change before going back to the Palace. I promise that I will be back later and update you with anything new." Giving his friend's arm a light squeeze, he promised, "I'll be back as soon as I can. Rest!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Williams spent the night at the hospital with McGarrett. He arrived about midnight and stayed till almost six. He didn't leave the room once." He glanced around nervously before he lowered his voice and whispered. "I couldn't get near McGarrett but I will. He's still in a coma at the moment and the doctors have him on a ventilator. Getting rid of him will be easy once I can get into the room. A quick flick of the switch and it will be over. McGarrett will be pau!"

"Well stop talking about it and do it. McGarrett's a risk to the whole operation. If he regains consciousness and opens his mouth…"

"I know! I know!" He whispered, "I'm more worried about Williams. He's more a danger to us than McGarrett is. ".

"I told you, we will take care of Williams – you take care of McGarrett!" The Boss hissed in his ear. "We can't take the risk of that cop waking up and talking! I want him taken care of!"

"McGarrett's as good as dead, just take care of Williams. That cop worries me. If he starts putting the pieces together…"

"Leave Williams to us!" The boss growled angrily. "Just do what you are told!"

He jumped as the phone disconnected loudly in his ear and slowly hung up the phone in his hand as he nervously smoothed his shirt. "Williams is more a danger than McGarrett ever was."

xxxxxxx

"If I hear one more mechanic tell me that the fan belt on my car needs tightening or my brakes need checking, I think I will pull out my gun and shoot them! I know I could get off with justifiable homicide or even an insanity rap." Kono groaned as she joined Danny and Chin at the computer table.

"But did you have any luck with the tires?" Chin grinned at his cousin.

"Charlie narrowed it down to Firestone Wilderness LE tires. Do you how many of those tires have been sold on the island in the last year? Over a thousand tires," Kono sighed. "I'm running a check through the list now to see if any interesting names come up."

"Stay on top of it, Kono." Danny instructed tiredly as he picked up the mug of coffee that sat in the table in front of him and took a long sip, grateful for the caffeine boost it was giving him. He lowered the mug and focused his attention on Chin. "Any luck tracking down which hotel Steve stayed at on Maui?"

"He stayed two nights at Maui Beach hotel at Kahului. He booked in at 7.30 am on the fifth and booked out at 11 am on the seventh. Steve made two phone calls from the hotel room while he was there, making two phone calls while he was there. One was to Ben Kubota, The other call was to a local number." Chin told his two colleagues as he tapped several keys on the table keyboard and brought up an image of a balding middle aged man on the screen. "The call was to Sam Clark, a private investigator based on Maui. Fifty-four years old, born in California and graduated from high school in 1979 when he suddenly disappeared until he came to the islands about three years ago and settled on Maui."

"Social security? IRS?" Danny asked confused.

"Nothing. It's like he ceased to exist for thirty three years. No indication he left the country but nothing to suggest that he remained in the country either. Nothing on him at all until he set himself up as a Private Investigator on Maui. By the look of the taxes he filed, he didn't have much of a private investigation business. He was just scraping through to make a living."

"Maybe Ben can tell us more about why Steve went to Maui. I might take a trip to Maui and have a talk to Ben myself." Danny said before he turned to his colleague, "Chin, keep digging into Sam Clarke's background. He simply could not have disappeared and then reappeared years later without anyone noticing. Find out where he was and what he was doing during those missing years. I have a feeling whatever Steve was involved with, he knew about.

Kono, keep with HPD and check out the buyers of the tires. We know that the car involved was a light blue Chevrolet Suburban so that should help to scale down the search." Danny hesitated a moment before he added, "Also Kono, can you do a quiet check with HPD, keep it casual and low key but I want to know who Steve approached for the surveillance on me and what reason he might have given. I should be back from Maui by this evening. If you need to contact me, I will be liaising with Ben Kubota."

Chin and Kono nodded their acceptance of orders as Danny glanced at his watch before looking back up at them. "If there's any change in Steve's condition…"

"We will let you know." Chin finished his sentence.

xxxxxxx

Chief Ben Kubota smiled as Five 0 detective walked through the airline terminal towards him. He had worked with Danny Williams on several occasions since Danny had joined HPD and then the Five 0 task force. He greeted the detective warmly before he led him out to the police car, waiting until they were both settled within the vehicle and headed back to the small police station before he asked any questions. "I heard about what happened to McGarrett, Danny, how is he?"

Danny glanced out of the window as he quietly answered, "Critical."

Kubota shook his head, "I only spoke to him the other day when he was here. I was shocked when I heard the news."

"Ben, that's the reason why I am here. Steve never told us about his change of plans. In fact he had us believing that he was holidaying on the Big Island. I was hoping that you could tell me why he was here."

Quickly taking his eyes from the road and glancing at unusually silent and still man beside him, Ben asked. "You didn't know McGarrett was here?"

Danny sighed and shook his head.

"He came into the office on Tuesday, Danny. He wanted to know what we knew about a local P.I. by the name of Sam Clarke. I told him that Sam was a local man. Fancied himself as a top private investigator but in reality, Sam is just scraping through. His main clients are housewives who want him to follow cheating husbands and debt collectors trying to find people."

"Did Steve tell you why he wanted to talk to this guy?" Danny asked as Ben parked the car.

Ben shook his head as they both climbed out and began to walk towards the Maui police department. "Sorry Danny, he didn't say. He wanted an address on Sam so that he could talk to him. I gave him Sam's home address and phone number. I also offered him an officer to accompany him but he insisted on going alone."

"Can I have Clark's address?' Danny asked as they entered Ben's office.

The police chief nodded, "Sam works from out of his cabin." Glancing at his watch, Ben continued, "He should be at home. Do you want me to come with you or do you want to interview him alone as well?"

"Might be good to have some company on the drive over to Clark's house." Danny answered quietly

xxxxxxx

The small cabin was set back in the trees, the dirt road winding to it was narrow and rough, a heavy shower made the road slippery but the Maui police Chief handled the car expertly on the treacherous road, gliding to a stop near the front door of the cabin. Both men climbed out of the vehicle and quickly jogged through the mud to the shelter of the small wooden lanai, knocking on the door and announcing their presence.

There was no response from anyone who may have been in the cabin and Danny reached for the doorknob and found the door unlocked. Carefully opening it, the two officers entered the cabin, both stopping in their tracks as they spotted the bloodied body lying on the floor in the middle of the small living room.

"Sam Clark!" Ben made the identification immediately.

It was obvious to both that the victim had been dead for several days; the bloodied hole in his back instantly told both men the probable cause of death.

Danny moved closer to visually examine the body as Ben turned and hurried outside. He knelt down beside the body, his heart beating wildly as he stared at the familiar looking plastic ties that trapped the man's hands behind his back. He carried the same type of ties in his own pocket.

"I gather that Five 0 wants jurisdiction on this one." Ben stated as he returned and joined the Five 0 detective near the body.

Danny nodded as he rose to his feet. "I have the feeling that whatever happened in this cabin is linked to what Steve's shooting on Oahu."

"I thought so." Kubota nodded, "I have already contacted M.E. He should be there any minute. The lab boys are also one their way. I'll send any evidence we find straight to you."

"Thanks." Danny answered as he turned and began to study the wall before spotting the small hole he had been looking for. Removing the small pocketknife from his pocket he quickly walked over and began to prod the hole with the blade, slowly and carefully prying the bullet hidden within out before dropping the slug into an evidence bag.

Ben walked closer and looked over his shoulder checking out the caliber of the bullet. "9mm?"

Danny lifted the bag and stared at its contents for a moment before nodding unhappily.

"McGarrett's?"

Danny shrugged and turned towards the door as he watched the M.E enter, followed closely by the Maui CSI team.

Walking across to where the M.E was now knelt down beside the body, Danny knelt down beside him and asked. "Well Doc? How long?"

"I would place the time of death about three or four days ago but I will be able to narrow it down to a more precise time after I do the autopsy." The coroner answered before he pointed to the small bloody but ragged hole in the back of the body's shirt. "By the size of the entry wound I would hazard a guess that he was shot at close ranch. Death would have been instantaneous."

"How close?" Danny asked.

"Almost point blank range. See the powder burns on the shirt." The older man pointed out the dark burn like pattern that surrounded the bullet hole before he glanced up at the hovering police photographer, asking, "Is it alright to turn the body now?" At the man's nod, the coroner reached across and gently rolled the victim onto his back revealing a large bloodied exit wound as he looked back to Danny. "As I suspected by the amount of blood under and around our victim, the exit wound is large, another indication that the killer was standing close to him when the gun was fired."

Grimacing at the graphic explanation, Danny glanced across at the coroner. "So there is no chance that our victim might have been shot while trying to escape?" He asked, already aware of the answer but needing to ask it anyway.

The coroner shook his head. "Not a chance, unless our shooter has reflexes as fast as Superman." He answered before he nodded towards the corpse. "Need the body anymore or can I get the boys to load it up?"

Danny shook his head as both men rose to their feet. "He's all yours Doc. I'll need you to send the autopsy report to me at Five 0."

The older man cocked his head. "That mean Five 0's taking over the investigation?"

"That means that this is a Five 0 investigation." Danny snapped tiredly.

The M.E shrugged and turned away, nodding to his assistant to help load the body.

"Are you going to stay here for the investigation, Danny or are you going to head back to Honolulu?" Kubota asked.

"I have to head back to Honolulu, Ben. I do want to take all of Clarke's investigation files with me and any other paperwork connected with his business. I have the feeling that Clarke was involved in more than just following cheating husbands around." Looking around the small room, Danny sighed and turned back to the police chief. "You knew Clarke, Ben, can you think of any enemies that he may have made?"

Ben smiled, "Other than some angry husbands who were caught cheating? I'm sorry Danny, even those are few and far between but I will interview everyone that Clarke has had dealings with. The list is pretty small Brah, as I told you before Sam Clarke was all talk and little action!"

"If you do happen to think of anyone, Ben…"

"I know Danny. We will interview anyone who has any type of connection with Clarke." Ben reassured the detective as they headed out of the house towards the car. I will also check with the staff at the hotel McGarrett stayed at, see if the clerks remember him meeting with anyone or if they know where else he might have gone. If I find out anything, I will let you know."

xxxx

Again Thank you for all the reviews, favs and followers I have gotten for this story. :)


	6. Chapter 6

AN Thank you again for all the awesome reviews to this story! WOW. I am blown away by all the wonderful comments and reviews I have received. Mahalo!

xxxxxxxx

"Kono…Kono."

The shout across the HPD parking lot startled the young Five 0 rookie and she turned towards the familiar voice, smiling patiently as Officer Tim Larkins hurried across the lot to catch up with her. Although he had never been anything but the perfect gentleman towards her, he always made her feel uncomfortable.

"I heard what happened to McGarrett. I just wanted to let you know that if you need any volunteers to work overtime and help with the investigation that I want to help." the young HPD officer offered.

"Thanks Tim, I'll let Danny and Chin know," Kono replied politely as she tried to step around him.

Lightly grabbing her arm, stopping her from leaving, Tim glanced around before he asked softly, "I hear that McGarrett is in a bad way, that true?"

"He's critical at the moment but McGarrett's a fighter." Kono answered.

"I hope he makes it. Any leads in the case?" Larkins asked as he walked with Kono to her car.

"A couple that we are following up on." Kono answered uncomfortably before she glanced down at her watch and looked back up at the slightly taller man. "Hey listen Tim, I need to go but I'll let Danny and Chin know you have put your hand up to do guard duty …"

"Mahalo, Kono. I really want to work on this case." Tim pleaded as Kono nodded and opened her car door, getting into the vehicle. "See you and remember, anytime you need me just call!' He reiterated loudly as Kono waved an acknowledgement before starting the car and driving away.

"I really have to work on this case!" Larkins muttered to himself as he turned and moved towards his patrol car.

xxxxx

Chin greeted his colleague as Danny walked through the office door, frowning in confusion as he accepted one of the two small boxes of files Danny carried. "I checked with the hospital, Danny, Steve's condition is still critical and he is still unconscious but he has shown some signs of improvement. The doctor removed him from the ventilator this morning and he is breathing on his own."

Danny smiled for the first time since Steve had been found, "Thank God!"

Placing the box of files onto the table, Chin asked. "What are these?"

"Clarkes' private eye files. Seems Clarke didn't trust computers. I have all his files here. Ben Kubota said he dealt with unhappy housewives and cheating husbands but I thought maybe we could find something that might explain why Steve went to see him and why he was murdered."

Glancing at his friend, Chin asked, "You don't really believe that Steve did it, do you Danny?"

"No… maybe…" Danny sighed as pulled out one of the files. "Damn it, Chin, I just don't know at the moment what Steve would or wouldn't do. It's not like it's the first time he has gone all SuperSEAL commando on us and gone off on his own without our back up."

"I'm sure whatever is going on, Steve had his reasons why he didn't want us involved." Chin tried to reassure his friend as he began to spread the files out onto the table in front of them before picking one up and perusing it.

"What are these?" Kono asked as she joined them at the table asked and looked at the files scattered across the table.

"Some of the cases that Clarke dealt with as he tried to play at being a private eye." Danny answered as he picked up one of the files. "I was hoping that maybe it could give us a motive to why he was killed." Danny waved the file he had in his hand in disgust, "But this guy was useless. I doubt any cheating husband would hold a grudge against him, he seemed to have messed up almost every case."

"What about the angry wives?" Kono asked.

"With Clarke's bungling, I'm sure the wife would be convinced that she never had anything to fear about in the first place!" Danny answered with a small grin before he grew serious and asked, "Did you manage to find out why Steve had HPD carrying out a surveillance on me?"

"I asked around HPD, everyone is saying the same thing Danny. Steve never asked anyone to carry out any surveillance in the last few weeks on you or anyone else. Nor has anyone else. As far as I can tell whoever carried out the surveillance did it without orders. I'm not sure how it may have come into Steve's possession but he did not ask for it through the usual channels or even on the quiet but someone could be covering for him." Danny nodded silently before Kono grimaced and looked towards chin as she added, "Before I left, Tim Larkins caught me in the parking lot."

"Larkins?" Chin smiled as he saw his cousin's obvious disdain for the HPD officer on her face. He knew of Kono's and other female officers' discomfort around the officer but none had been able to explain just what it was that made them so uncomfortable around him. "What did he want?"

"He wants to pull guard duty at the hospital." Kono answered.

"Any reason why he shouldn't?" Danny frowned as he looked at the cousins.

Kono shrugged." No, not really," she answered truthfully.

"If he wants to pull guard duty, I can roster him on tomorrow." Chin replied.

"Any luck with the car or the tires?" Danny asked as he picked up another file.

"We have narrowed the list down to about fifty- eight blue Chevrolet Suburbans on the island which have had Firestone Wilderness LE tires fitted in the last twelve months. So far all of the owners have airtight alibis for where they were yesterday morning when the car was seen leaving the plantation and none of the tire treads match. HPD are still checking the owners who couldn't be reached today." Chin replied as Danny's cell phone interrupted them.

Dropping the file, Danny pulled his phone from his pocket, Danny glanced at the caller ID and hit the accept button before he answered, "What have you got Charlie?" as he hit his phone's speaker for Chin and Kono to hear.

"Not good news, I'm afraid Danny." Charlie answered. "The slug you dug out of the wall at Clarke's place was a 9mm bullet fired from a SIG-Sauer. I ran the comparison to one of the slugs from Steve's SIG that we keep down here at the lab and it was a match. Also I only managed to pick up two separate sets of fingerprints up at the scene. I got a match on both. They belong to the victim and Steve. The partial fingerprints I managed to pull off the plastic tie that bound the victim's hands were Steve's as well." The three stunned Five 0 officers heard Charlie sigh before he said quietly, "I'm sorry, Danny. I was hoping I made a mistake but I checked twice."

"Thanks Charlie." Danny answered quietly as he ended the call and looked across at Chin and Kono. "Well Steve's gun is definitely the weapon that killed Clarke and so far Steve is our only suspect and all the evidence points to him."

Chin and Kono traded worried glances as Danny's cell phone rang again, Glancing at the caller ID. Danny frowned as he recognized the number for the Honolulu CIA office. Hitting the accept button, he turned and walked away as he answered it with a curt, "Williams."

"Williams, my name is Anderson, C.I.A. I have been told that you and your team have been trying to run a background check on a Private Investigator named Sam Clarke. You are to cease any more enquiries."

Danny frowned at the request before he answered. "I can't do that, Sir, his death is part of a Hawaii Five 0 investigation. Sam Clarke was murdered on Maui. We are investigating his death."

"It's not a request, Williams, but an order. I can make it official if you want but you are not to carry out any more background checks on Sam Clarke. Is that clear, Detective?"

"Yes, Sir." Danny answered as he heard the phone disconnect in his ear.

"Danny!" Something in Chin's tone warned Danny that he was about to hear more unpleasant news and he turned, sighing quietly. "We just found this in Clarke's files." Chin announced as he handed Danny a several sheets of paper.

"I think we have found who did the background check on me." Danny Williams breathed as he studied the slip of paper that not only contained the basic information required for a background check but extremely private details of his life. He shook his head stunned at the detail and accuracy of the private investigator's notes; almost every aspect of his life was noted for investigation. Even more disturbing for the detective was a brief note at the bottom of the page that seemed to be some type of reminder to the note's author to double check the detective's security clearance and what national security cases that he had been involved with. "No wonder the CIA doesn't want us investigating Clark, he's one of theirs!"

Chin frowned, "C.I.A.?"

Danny nodded, "They just called and demanded that we stop running any checks on him."

"But why would they be interested in you, Danny?" Kono asked.

"I don't know but I sure as Hell intend to find out. I have some questions that I want answered! I want to know just what is going on and just how much Steve knew! I want to know why I was being investigated! I'm tired of all the lies and the secrecy." Danny snapped angrily as he slapped the piece of paper onto his desk as he turned and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Chin asked as he followed Danny to the door.

Danny paused and turned to face his two colleagues. "Steve's not the only one who has contacts! I want a few answers about Sam Clarke and why I was possibly being investigated by the CIA." Danny growled.

"Catherine?" Chin asked.

Danny nodded, "If Steve was checking up on a CIA agent, she would be the one he would go to."

"Just be extra careful Brah. Call me if you need any back up."

Danny allowed a small smile to slip onto his lips as he nodded. "Thanks Chin. I should be back in about an hour."

Chin nodded as he watched Danny turn and hurried out of the office.


	7. Chapter 7

Chin looked up from the file he was reading as Duke Lukela entered the office. The HPD sergeant handed him a single sheet of paper that held the roster of the HPD officers who had been assigned to guard McGarrett's hospital room. "I have to admit Chin, I was surprised when you told me that Larkins volunteered for guard duty. I put him and his partner on this evening's roster. Larkins never volunteers for anything if he can help it."

"I think he was just trying to impress Kono." Chin grinned.

"He certainly seems to believe he has a way with the wahines. It's a shame the wahines don't quite feel the same way about him." Duke laughed before he grew serious. "I heard that Kono was asking around if Steve had asked anyone to carry out surveillance on Danny."

"We discovered after Steve was shot that someone done a full background check and has been carrying out surveillance on Danny over the last four weeks." Chin told the HPD sergeant. "We're not sure if Steve ordered the background check and surveillance and if so why, or someone else carried it out and sent it for Steve for some reason."

"I knew Steve was up to something but I wasn't sure what, Chin." Duke admitted quietly, "He approached me the day before he left for his holidays and asked me some questions about Danny's background as an officer in HPD."

"What sort of questions?" Chin asked

"He wanted to know the type of cases Danny was involved in, who his partners were, if there were any problems with senior officers that he wasn't aware of either at HPD or in Jersey." Duke shifted uncomfortably on his feet before he continued in a lower voice. "He asked how well Danny got on with other officers while he was at HPD and how well he is getting on with them now that he is in Five 0."

"Did he tell you why he wanted to know, Duke?" Chin frowned.

"No." Duke shook his head as he remembered Steve's agitation. "He just asked that I kept his questions to myself. I wish I had have asked him what was going on."

"I doubt Steve would have told you." Chin told the older officer. "I think whatever was going on, Steve was trying to protect Danny."

Duke sighed, as he turned to leave, "If I hear anything at all on the coconut wireless, I'll let you know."

"Mahalo, Duke."

xxxxx

Catherine ordered a second cup of coffee as she watched the Camaro pull up to the curb outside the small diner where Danny had requested to meet. She smiled and thanked the waitress as she settled the cup onto the table, and turned to watch as Danny pushed open the diner's door and entered.

Sliding into the seat on the other side of the small table where Catherine was waiting, Danny Williams ordered a coffee and waited a moment until the waitress had moved away before he spoke softly, "Thanks for meeting with me, Catherine."

Catherine studied the exhausted detective in front of her, resisting the urge to comment on the Danny's obviously fatigued state, "Has something happened to Steve? The doctors told me he was stable when I went to see him at the hospital this morning."

"Steve's stable," Danny rushed to reassure Catherine. He fell silent for a moment while the waitress placed a cup of coffee in front of him and walked away before he continued. "But I need some information, information that I am hoping you can get for me."

"Of course, Danny, anything to help. I gather whatever you need has something to do with Steve's shooting?" Catherine asked quietly. After receiving a silent nod in confirmation from the Five 0 detective sitting across from her, she asked, "What do you need me to help with?"

"I'm not sure just what is going on but what I am sure of is whatever Steve was doing, it was somehow linked to the CIA." At Catherine's questioning stare, Danny hurried to explain. "Steve lied to us – me- about where he was going on holidays. He was supposed to be on the Big Island, I didn't even know he was back in Oahu until after he was hit! It was then that I found out just how much Steve had kept from me about what he was up to." Danny paused a moment and looked away, drawing a deep breath to settle himself, unwilling to show the hurt caused by Steve's secrecy, before he continued. "While I was trying to find out why Steve had changed his plans and hadn't told me, I found a file and a USB that contained an in depth background check and surveillance photos on me hidden in his office drawer."

"He was running a background check on you? Why?" Catherine frowned as she leaned closer.

Danny shrugged. "I don't know if Steve authorized it or not, but what I do know is we tracked Steve's movements back to Maui where he appears to have arranged to have met up with a private eye named Clarke. The same PI who we have since discovered ran the actual background check and I suspect had me under surveillance."

"Private Eye named Clarke? Not Sam Clarke?" Catherine's eyes grew wide, before they narrowed in concern as Danny nodded.

"Yeah, do you know him?" Danny asked leaning forward. "I tried to run a background check on him but seemed to hit brick walls."

"Not surprising." Catherine told Danny softly as she glanced around to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. Satisfied that both the waitress and the cook were paying them no attention, Catherine turned back to Danny. "Listen Danny, if Clarke was running some sort of background check on you, than you are in danger! Clarke is CIA."

"That's why the CIA have told me to stop me checking his background." Danny breathed.

"They warned you to stop?"

"Agent Anderson. He called me today and ordered us to stop running any background checks on Clarke."

Catherine laughed quietly, "Anderson would have had a heart attack at the thought of explaining why you are checking the background of one of their top agents."

"He was one of their top agents?" Danny asked surprised.

"Was?" Catherine frowned.

"After Steve was shot we traced Steve's last steps to Maui where we discovered Clarke's body – murdered- everything points to Steve as the murderer."

"So you think Steve might be responsible for Clarke's death?"

"No, I don't, but it's going to be hard to prove he is innocent." Danny admitted honestly, "I think whatever the reason I was being investigated was also the reason why he was killed and Steve was hit! I seem to be the motive behind whatever is going on, and the only ones who can tell me why are either dead or unconscious in the hospital. I doubt that anyone in the CIA is going to tell me much about Clarke or why he was investigating me or who authorized it. That's why I need your help."

Catherine nodded. "Sam Clarke was a maverick, Danny, it's rumored that he liked to run his own operations on the side using his position in the CIA to gain classified information - nothing has been proved. Let me see if I can find out what he was up to and whom he was working for. If Clarke was doing background checks and surveillance on you Danny, then someone has you marked! Clarke was the man the CIA sent in to clean up their messes. Be careful." Reaching across Catherine placed her hand on Danny's as she tried to reassure him. "I don't know what Steve was up to, Danny, but what ever it was, I am sure he didn't tell you because he thought by not doing so he was protecting you and Grace."

"Yeah maybe, or maybe he decided he doesn't trust me as his partner. Thanks Catherine." Danny said softly as he rose from his seat and dropped a few dollar bills onto the table before he turned and walked away.

Biting her bottom lip as Danny left, Catherine rose from her seat to follow him. She hesitated for a moment before she turned away from the door and headed out of the diner through the kitchen.

xxxxxx

"Want to grab him now?"

"No, not yet, there are too many people around. Let's just wait until he is alone and then we will take care of him."

"What about the woman he was just talking to?" The Hawaiian asked, glancing out of the car window towards the diner from which Williams had just emerged.

"Find out who she is and why Williams was meeting with her. After you find out what we need to know - you know what to do!" The older man instructed softly as the Hawaiian nodded and began to climb out of the car. Grabbing the larger man's arm to momentarily halt his exit, the older man growled, "And this time, make sure you clean up after yourself, got it?"

"Got it, Sir." The Hawaiian nodded as the older man released his arm and he stepped out of the car and watched as his boss pulled away. Turning back towards the diner, he quickly straightened his clothes before he entered the tiny establishment and looked around. He froze in surprise as he stared at the empty table where Williams and the woman had been sitting. It was empty and the woman was nowhere to be seen.

Turning he rushed behind the counter and through the kitchen, ignoring the startled shouts from the waitress and the cook as he pulled open the back door and ran out into the small alley behind the building, searching for some sign of Williams' companion. Cursing under his breath after discovering the alley was empty; he turned and walked back into the diner, drawing his gun as he menacingly approached the two people within, demanding they tell him where the woman had gone.

A few minutes later the peaceful calm of the nearly deserted street was shattered by a scream from the small diner before gunshots silenced the frightened cry.

Xxxxxxx

"I can't believe you managed to get us get us such an easy assignment for the afternoon." Kimo grinned at his partner. "Pulling guard duty on McGarrett."

Shrugging his shoulders, Tim smiled, "I told you partner, all it took was one little whisper in Kono's ear this morning when I saw her in the parking lot and the hint of a date and she was more than willing to recommend me to her cousin for cushy assignment of guard duty. It sure beats walking the beat in the rain. I just glanced out of the window and it is really coming down out there."

"Man, you certainly have a way with the wahines." Kimo grinned before he glanced toward the entrance door to the ICU and the coffee machine just beyond, "But I'm dying for a coffee!"

"Why don't you go to the machine and grab one, also grab one for me." His partner suggested. "It's not like no one is guarding the door. I think Kelly and Williams went for overkill by having two of us guarding McGarrett anyway."

Kimo hesitated, "Are you sure, Brah? You know if Chin or Danny comes it will be both our heads, not just mine."

Tim grinned and gave his partner a push towards the door. "It's shaka, just go!"

Larkins waited until his partner disappeared through the doors leading out of the ward, before he quickly turned and opened the door he was guarding, slipping quietly into the room and closing the door securely behind him. Crossing the room to the side of the bed, the young HPD officer swore as he realized the ventilator that had assisted McGarrett to breathe had been removed and replaced by a nasal cannula.

"Damn!" He muttered in frustration as he ran his hand nervously over his face, staring down at the motionless man in the bed. "This was going to be easy on you, McGarrett but I guess we will have to do this the hard way." He murmured to the unconscious man as he quickly glanced around, a small smile tugging at his lips as he noticed the discarded pillow on the chair nearby.

He turned and quickly crossed to chair, picking up the pillow before turning it over in his hands, examining it as he returned to the side of the bed. "But either way, I guess it won't matter." He whispered as he held the pillow in one hand and reached down removing the nasal cannula with the other. "Cause the end result will be the same- you'll be dead and you won't be able to tell anyone what you know - especially Williams!" He laughed softly as he pressed the pillow down onto Steve's face.

xxx

AN- I just want to again thank everyone for all the reviews, faved or alerted my story. Thank you! I am thrilled that you are enjoying my story. :)


	8. Chapter 8

"Tim?"

The voice behind him startled him and he quickly snatched the pillow away before turning towards the door as the door opened wider and his partner stepped into the room.

"Everything okay, Brah? What are you doing in here?" Kimo asked, frowning in confusion that his partner was in McGarrett's room and not guarding the door.

"I heard a noise in the room so I thought I better check on McGarrett." Larkins explained as he turned back to the man in the bed and gently lifted his head, sliding the pillow beneath. "I guess he was a little restless or something. He knocked the pillow off the bed and dislodged his nasal tube. I'm just fixing him up, trying to make him a little more comfortable. I thought it was easier just to do it myself than call a nurse." He explained as he lowered McGarrett's head back down and reinserted the cannula. "Now let's get back outside in case Danny or Chin comes and decide we aren't doing our job."

Nodding in agreement, Kimo held the door open and waited for his partner. He hesitated a moment and glanced at McGarrett before he closed the door, wondering if he had imagined what he thought he had seen. Shaking his head as he decided that maybe he needed stronger coffee to keep his imagination in check.

Xxxxx

"Everything okay, Brah? What are you doing in here?"

"I heard a noise in the room so I thought I better check on McGarrett. I guess he was a little restless or something. He knocked the pillow off the bed and dislodged his nasal tube. I'm just fixing him up, trying to make him a little more comfortable. I thought it was easier just to do it myself than call a nurse. Now let's get back outside before…."

Steve listened to the two disembodied voices that slowly faded into the darkness that held him safe in its cocoon. He felt himself being slowly pulled to the awareness that held so much grief and pain, which held a world without his closest friend. His breath caught in his throat as Danny's face flickered across his mind's eye only to be replaced with the echoes of the cruel taunt. "You killed him, McGarrett; his blood is on your hands."

"No!" The soft cry slipped from dry cracked lips as McGarrett's eyes opened wide and he stared at the whiteness above. He had known the danger that had begun to silently stalk his closest friend. He thought that he, alone, could protect him, he had tried to keep him safe but he had failed and now Danny had paid the ultimate price. A single tear slid unnoticed down his cheek as he closed his eyes and escaped back into the protective blackness that help keep away the pain.

xxxxx

The Governor placed the pen he was using onto the desk and looked up expectantly as his office door opened. "How did it go, Walter?" He asked without preamble as the CIA agent entered the room.

"I doubt that my demands that Williams cease his investigation into Clarke's background are going to be followed." Anderson answered as he settled himself onto the seat in front of the Denning's desk. "In fact, I am hoping, it's going to make him more determined to investigate the case, especially as McGarrett has become his main suspect in Clarkes' death."

The Governor nodded, "Are you sure Danny Williams has adequate protection in case things don't go as planned?"

"I have him under constant surveillance, Sir." Anderson quickly attempted to reassure the politician, "Handpicked agents are ready to move in to protect him immediately if things go wrong."

"I don't like it!" Denning growled, "I don't like it at all! I still believe that Williams should be warned of the danger he is in, especially after what happened to McGarrett."

"What happened to McGarrett was regrettable Sir, neither he or I realized just how far up the chain this went." Anderson sighed, "At first we believed that the corruption was on a local level involving some HPD officers and some low level local CIA agents but now we know it goes a lot higher than that. McGarrett believed that Williams had somehow become a threat to them. He may have seen or heard something at HPD or even socially that implicated the dirty officers without realizing it. McGarrett was concerned that the danger to Williams and his daughter increased if he was involved in the investigation and I agreed with him."

"Walter, I disagreed with both you and Steve about keeping the corruption investigation from Danny Williams and the rest of the Five 0 team." Denning angrily interrupted. "And now after what happened to McGarrett, I feel we are making a grave error in judgment in not informing Williams of the investigation and dangling him out to the sharks as unwitting bait."

"I don't like it either, Sir, but I believe to catch the big fish, we have no other option. We don't know just how high this chain of corruption reaches. This is the only way I can think off of drawing the sharks and the less Williams and Five 0 know, the less they can accidentally tip off anyone who might be involved."

The Governor shook his head in disapproval. "I still feel we are taking a big risk with Danny Williams' life. Danny Williams is not going to stop trying to clear Steve's name."

"I am aware of that fact, Sir, and that is what I am counting on." Anderson announced softly. "That makes the bait even more appetizing to be grabbed."

Xxxxx

AN - Now you didn't think I would kill Steve so easily, did you? Again Thank You to everyone who has been following, favoriting or reviewing my story.


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